Sunday, September 15, 2013

eb Fever an easy nut to crack with bonduc nut Author: Sheela Rani Chunkath Published Date: Sep 15, 2013 12:00 AM Last Updated: Sep 13, 2013 1:03 PM The medicinal bonduc nut powder is used alone for treatment of fevers where the cause of fever is unknown. The Department of Ayush, Government of India, developed an anti-malarial drug—Ayush 64—in which one of the main ingredients is bonduc nut or fever nut as it is popularly known. It is also known as nicker seed, yellow nicker or grey nicker. The scientific name is Caesalpinia Bonduc. Ayurvedic vaidyars have for long used the seeds of bonduc nuts for treating fevers. The use of Ayush 64 has been subjected to double blind trials where it has proven to be very effective in treating malaria without any side effects. In fact, bonduc nut powder is used alone for treatment of fevers where the cause of fever is unknown. Ayurvedic vaidyars use this as a first line of defence for treating fevers where most tests indicate that nothing is seriously wrong with the patient but the fever persists. It is especially useful in cases where a person has had malaria and has repeated bouts of fever but tests negative for malaria. Since it is difficult to detect the malarial parasite, Ayurvedic vaidyars prescribe Ayush 64 or a variant to treat the fever. One of the favourite home remedies they prescribe is to take 2-4 grams of the stem of guduchi or Tinospora cordifolia and boil it with 2 powdered seeds of Caesalpinia Bonduc. Caesalpinia Bonduc known as Kallarchikai in Tamil and Kalanchi in Malayalam, is a beautiful looking seed. Grey in colour and smooth textured with a hard outer covering. It has to be broken to extract the inner seed. This is finely powdered and added to the stem of Tinospora cordifolia. (I have written in detail about the wonderful properties of Tinospora cordifolia in my earlier article). The two are boiled together with a glass of water and reduced to about half a glass. The resulting kashayam is a wonderful pick-me-up for those suffering from fevers. Both the herbs have antioxidant properties. It has been used traditionally to revitalise the spleen and liver. In villages, the leaf or seed paste is applied over the hydrocele to reduce the swelling. Some years ago a friend and I were talking to some villagers when one of them talked to us about the scrotal swelling of their young son. They said that they had consulted a few local doctors but the swelling had not subsided. My friend immediately asked them to bring a few ‘Kallarchikais’. He asked the mother to break the outer covering and take out the inside seed and powder it well. He asked her to get one country egg, break it on a tava and make a kind of fried egg. He asked her to add the seed powder to the egg yolk and flip the egg over. When cooked it was to be given to the little boy. The boy was cured of his scrotal swelling. From local villages in India to different parts of the world, bonduc nuts have been part of the traditional medicine. In countries such as Mauritius it is used as an anti-helmintic . In Sri Lanka, the plant is used for skeletal fractures. Nearer home, in Katra valley of Jammu and Kashmir, the plant juice is used to cure intermittent fever. In homeopathy, the plant is considered an excellent remedy for chronic fevers. Bonduc nuts and Tinospora cordifolia kashayam is a good starting point for those suffering from unexplained fevers. The writer was earlier Health Secretary, Tamil Nadu, and is currently Additional Chief Secretary, and Chairman and MD, Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation. She can be reached at Sheelarani.arogyamantra@gmail.com. Earlier articles can be accessed at www.arogyamantra.blogspot.com Copyright © 2012 The New Indian Express. All rights reserved.

Monday, September 9, 2013

ayush doctors are eligible for scientist?

Dopt Orders 2013 - Modified Flexible Complementing Scheme - regarding qualifications for Scientists Posted: 06 Sep 2013 11:05 AM PDT No. AB.14017/44/ 2011-Estt. (RR) Government of India Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of Personnel and Training New Delhi Dated the 5h September, 2013 OFFICE MEMORANDUM Subject: Modified Flexible Complementing Scheme - regarding qualifications for Scientists. Reference is invited to the instructions on Modified Flexible Complementing Scheme for Scientists issued in this Department OM No. AB.14017/37/2008-Estt.(RR) dated 10th September, 2010 based on the recommendations of the 6th CPC. The guidelines prescribe the qualifications for Scientists as under :- Scientists and Engineers Persons who possess academic qualification of atleast Master's Degree in Natural/Agricultural Sciences or Bachelors Degree in Engineering/Technology/Medicine and hold scientific posts defined in the guidelines. 2. References have been received in this Department seeking clarifications as to whether M.Sc. (Electronics) and M.Sc. (Applied Electronics) falls within the applicable qualifications of Modified FCS. The issue has been examined by this Department in consultation with Department of Science and Technology. It has been decided to include degrees of M.Sc (Electronics) and M.Sc. (Applied Electronics) as subjects under Engineering equivalent to Bachelor's Degree in Engineering. 3. The Hindi version will follow. sd/- (Mukta Goel) Director (E-I)

Friday, September 6, 2013

Ayush doctors to get allopathy training

Deccan Charonical Friday, Sep 06, 2013 | Last Update : 04:24 PM IST Ayush docs to get allopathy training Bengaluru: Following the orders from the Planning Commission, the State Health and Family Welfare Department has recommended Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) to start an 18-month course in modern (emergency) medicine for Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) practitioners to practice allopathy. The initiative is being taken up to upgrade and improve the primary health care system in the State. The recommendation has been sent to the RGUHS authorities, who will plan the training procedure and check its feasibility, said Madan Gopal, Principal Secretary, Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department. Meanwhile, apart from RGUHS, the State Health and Family Welfare Department is also looking at roping in more private medical universities for this course. “We have requested other private medical universities too for the same 18-month course in modern (emergency) medicine. They will have to check the feasibility and get back to us,” said Gopal. If this course takes off then it will help in ensuring that people, especially in the rural areas, get timely medical treatment. Following the shortage of doctors and specialists in the State Health and Family Welfare Department, people residing in rural areas do not have access to proper healthcare facility. Hence if AYUSH practitioners are legally allowed to take up integrated practice, then it will help improve the primary health care system in the State, Gopal said. The Planning Commission in its report has also stated that AYUSH course curricula have about 30 percent modern medicine components and that the regulatory provision are existing in some States for integrated practice by AYUSH doctors. However, it can also be cited that until 1997 Bangalore University was running an integrated course in allopathy, ayurveda and unani, but it did not call for admission in the particular course after 1997. Later, in 2012, there was a huge ruckus in the State when the State Health and Family Welfare Department had decided on to permit AYUSH practitioners to prescribe allopathy medicines during emergency.